It's the return of the Best Friends National Conference! Animal welfare professionals from across the country (and beyond!) have made their way to Raleigh, North Carolina, for our first in-person conference since the pandemic forced the cancellation of the 2020 event.

This year we're in Raleigh, North Carolina. Like the previous host communities, such as Atlanta, Dallas, Atlantic City, and North Carolina are important to the animal welfare movement.

We can't tell North Carolina's story in just one episode, but with the conference kicking off today, we thought we could offer a little context about the state and its lifesaving story. To learn more, we spoke with native North Carolinian John Graves, a strategist for the east region at Best Friends.

Check out this episode on the Best Friends Network website for resources related to this episode and more: https://network.bestfriends.org/proven-strategies/best-friends-podcast/best-friends-podcast-ep-118